Written Answers Nos. 776-792
776. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government for a list of all emergency accommodation in the greater Dublin area, including hotels that are in regular use by the central placement unit, and those in occasional use. [6673/16]
View answerMy Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual housing authorities. My Department has no function in relation to operational issues, such as those raised in the Question, which are a matter for the relevant housing authorities.
777. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the criteria the central placement unit uses in deciding on the hotels to be used for emergency accommodation in the greater Dublin area. [6674/16]
View answerMy Department’s role in relation to homelessness involves the provision of a national framework of policy, legislation and funding to underpin the role of housing authorities in addressing homelessness at local level. Statutory responsibility in relation to the provision of homeless accommodation and related services rests with individual housing authorities. My Department has no function in relation to operational issues, such as those raised in the Question, which are a matter for the relevant housing authorities.
778. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government for a progress report on the Social Housing Strategy 2020, including the numbers of houses delivered by each local authority under each category. [6675/16]
View answerThe Social Housing Strategy 2020 is a target-driven plan of action to increase the supply of social housing by 110,000 additional units out to 2020, with 35,000 new units to be delivered by local authorities and approved housing bodies and 75,000 households to be supported mainly through the Housing Assistance Payment Scheme. The Strategy has been supported by two successive budgets with €1.7 billion allocated to social housing in 2015 and 2016. The Social Housing Strategy 2020 is available on my Department’s website at the following link:
http://www.environ.ie/housing/social-housing/social-housing-strategy/social-housing-strategy-2020
Given the pressing need to recommence a house building programme , almost €3 billion in capital funding will be provided in support of the Social Housing Strategy through the Government’s Capital Plan - Building on Recovery: Infrastructure and Capital Investment 2016-202. The Capital Plan is available at the following link:
http://www.per.gov.ie/wp-content/uploads/Capital-Plan.pdf
Over 13,000 social housing units were delivered in 2015, the first full year of implementation of the Strategy. This represents an 86% increase in unit delivery above 2014. It was achieved in a very difficult operating environment and represents a good start to the implementation the Strategy. The targets for 2016 are again ambitious and I expect that over 17,000 social housing units will be provided this year.
In January, in collaboration with the Housing Agency, I published the Social Housing Output in 2015 report, detailing how the 13,000 units were delivered across all the social housing programmes in 2015. The report, together with data on the breakdown of output, across all social housing delivery programmes, by local authority, is available on my Department’s website at the following link:
http://www.environ.ie/housing/social-housing/social-and-affordble/overall-social-housing-provision
Social housing cannot be viewed in isolation from the wider housing system. The construction, and particularly residential construction, industry in Ireland is taking time to recover from the economic downturn and consequently supply from that sector is lagging significantly behind demand. Private market housing is currently delivering circa 50% of the estimated annual requirement of 25,000 dwellings.
The Housing Actions Report, which was published today, provides further information on thirty-one major actions taken across the housing spectrum in the past twenty-one months to increase the supply of housing, including social housing. The report is available on my Department’s website at
http://www.environ.ie/housing/activity/laying-foundations-housing-action-report
779. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government for details of each statutory instrument signed; each contract entered into; each tender issued; each tender awarded; each State Board appointment made by him or by an agency of his Department from 1 January 2016 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6690/16]
View answerThe Statutory Instruments I have signed from 1 January 2016 are set out in the following table.
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Name and Reference number of Statutory Instruments signed from 01/01/2016 |
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S.I. 4 of 2016 - Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 (Commencement of Sections 30 and 42 and Part 4) Order 2016. |
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S.I. 20 of 2016 - Electoral Act 1997 (Section 78 (a) and (b)) (Commencement) Order 2016. |
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S.I. 21 of 2016 - Seanad Electoral (Panel Members) (Prescribed Forms) (Amendment) Regulations 2016. |
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S.I. 24 of 2016 - The Waste Management (Collection Permit ) (Amendment) Regulations 2016. |
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S.I. 25 of 2016 - Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 (Establishment Day) Order 2016. |
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S.I. 38 of 2016 - Housing Assistance Payment (Section 50) Regulations 2016. |
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S.I. 40 of 2016 - Housing Assistance Payment (Amendment) Regulations 2016. |
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S.I. 41 of 2016 - Water Services ( No 2 ) Act 2013 (Commencement) Order 2016. |
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S.I. 42 of 2016 - European Union ( Restriction of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical And Electronic Equipment ) (Amendment ) Regulations 2016. |
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S.I. 55 of 2016 - Electoral Act 1992 (Special Difficulty) (Assent to Nomination of Candidate at Dáil Election) Order 2016. |
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S.I. 56 of 2016 - Domestic Lead Remediation (Financial Assistance) Regulations 2016. |
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S.I. 57 of 2016 - Irish Water (Previous Service) Superannuation Scheme 2016. |
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S.I. 113 of 2016 - Dublin Docklands Development Authority (Dissolution) Act 2015 (Commencement) Order 2016. |
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S.I. 114 of 2016 - Dublin Docklands Development Authority (Dissolution) Act 2015 (Dissolution Day) Order 2016. |
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S.I. 119 of 2016 - Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016. |
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SI 128 of 2016 - Air Pollution Act (Marketing, Sale, Distribution and Burning of Specified Fuels ) (Amendment ) Regulations 2016. |
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SI 129 of 2016 - European Union ( Stage II Vapour Recovery during refuelling of motor vehicles at service stations) Regulations 2016. |
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S.I. 135 of 2016 - Derelict Sites (Urban Areas) Regulations 2016. |
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S.I. 150 of 2016 - Residential Tenancies Act 2004 (Prescribed Form) Regulations 2016. |
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S.I. 151 of 2016 - Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) ( No 2 ) Order 2016. |
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S.I. 160 of 2016 - European Union (Radioactive Substances in Drinking Water) Regulations. |
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Bathing Water Quality ( Amendment) Regulations 2016 . (Signed 12/04/2016 - S.I. number has not yet been assigned) |
The details of contracts entered into since 1 January 2016 are set out in the following table:
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Details of Contracts entered into from 01/01/2016 |
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National Planning Framework - Graphic Design - Power Design. |
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National Planning Framework - Promotional Video - Glasseye Productions. |
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Marine Litter Contract with Treanbeg Marine Consulting. |
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Printing of Register of Electors registration forms for Register of Electors 2017/2018 with Kelly Print. |
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Colour printing of 35,000 HAP information leaflets and 40,000 booklets (V.3, February 2016) and delivery of same to HAP local authorities and DSP warehouse with Quality Print. |
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National media service for community development purposes with Changing Ireland |
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Provision of a press cuttings service with Media Watch Ltd. |
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Managed hosting of and security updates to the Department's website – Annerterch Limited |
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On-going support and development work for the Department's website - Annerterch Limited |
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Hewlett Packard P24 Hardware and Software Support. |
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Cisco Maintenance Support from Jan - Dec 2016. |
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Phoneware Helpdesk support from April 2016 to March 2017. |
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Occupational Hygiene & Safety Services (OHSS). |
The information requested in relation to tenders issued and awarded since 1 January 2016 is set out in the following table:
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Details of Tender issued from 01/01/2016 |
Details of Tenders awarded from 01/01/2016 |
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GIS Professional/Analyst to provide 230 days support to the Department’s Forward Planning section via the Myplan.ie project. |
- |
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Printing of Register of Electors registration forms for Register of Electors 2017/2018. |
Tender Awarded |
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Requests for costs for colour printing of 35,000 HAP information leaflets and 40,000 booklets (V.3, February 2016) and delivery to HAP local authorities and DSP warehouse. |
Tender Awarded |
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Tender for the supply of office stationery for 12 months. |
Tender Awarded |
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SEA AA RBMP - Strategic Environmental Assessment and Appropriate Assessment Services for the development of River Basin Management Plans under the provisions of the Water Framework Directive. |
- |
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Microsoft Licensing Solutions Provider (under OGP Framework). |
- |
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Framework for the Provision of ICT Technical Support Services. |
Tender Awarded |
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Tender for a HP LaserJet P2055d Printer. |
Tender Awarded |
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Tender for five laptops. |
Tender Awarded |
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Tender for a Polycom Sound-Point IP 331. |
Tender Awarded |
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Tender for a TP Link Powerline adapter kit. |
Tender Awarded |
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Tender for Six Targus Multimedia Presentation remotes. |
Tender Awarded |
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Tender for One Basic Model Printer/Scanner. |
Tender Awarded |
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Tender for the Undertaking of an Air Quality Survey in the Custom House. |
Tender Awarded |
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Tender for design work and publication of a bilingual document, "Our Communities; A Framework Policy for Local and Community Development in Ireland (2015)". |
Tender Awarded |
Information in relation to State Board appointments from 1 January 2016 is set out in the following table:
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Details of State Board Appointments from 01/01/2016 |
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Rose Joyce - re-appointed to the Dublin Dockland Development Authority ( DDDA ) |
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Jim Keoghan - re-appointed to DDDA |
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John W Flanagan - re-appointed to DDDA |
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Brendan Kenny - re-appointed to DDDA |
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Michael Stubbs - re-appointed to DDDA |
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Lucy McCaffrey - re-appointed to DDDA |
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Charlie Murphy - re-appointed to DDDA |
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Professor John Fitzgerald - appointed to the Climate Change Advisory Council |
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Professor Dr Ottmar Edenhofer - appointed to the Climate Change Advisory Council |
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Professor Frank Convery - appointed to the Climate Change Advisory Council |
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Professor J. Peter Clinch - appointed to the Climate Change Advisory Council |
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Professor Anna Davies - appointed to the Climate Change Advisory Council |
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Professor Alan Matthews - appointed to the Climate Change Advisory Council |
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Mr Joseph Curtin - appointed to the Climate Change Advisory Council |
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Director General of the EPA, Ms Laura Burke - appointed to the Climate Change Advisory Council |
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Chief Executive of SEAI, Dr. Brian Motherway - appointed to the Climate Change Advisory Council |
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Director of Teagasc, Professor Gerry Boyle - appointed to the Climate Change Advisory Council |
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Director of the ESRI, Professor Alan Barrett - appointed to the Climate Change Advisory Council |
781. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of capital-funded social housing units and new builds that have been commenced since January 2015 by local authority area. [6838/16]
View answerFollowing from the substantial announcements of new social housing projects that I made in May 2015, in July 2015 and in January 2016, we now have a strong pipeline of new social housing construction, acquisition and turnkey approvals in place. Between these three announcements, almost €680 million has been allocated for over 3,900 social housing new builds, turnkey developments and acquisitions. Details of these approvals are available on my Department’s website at the following links:
http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,41340,en.htm
http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,42225,en.htm http://www.environ.ie/housing/social-housing/ministers-kelly-coffey-announce-further-1000-social-housing-units
A breakdown of the number of social housing units covered in those newly announced construction projects across all local authorities is in the following table. It is these projects that will form the majority of the social housing units to be constructed between now and 2018; I am keen that local authorities advance these as soon as possible but recognise that all projects must proceed through the planning process and this and other factors can have a direct impact on the timing for their advancement.
Construction Approvals since Social Housing Strategy
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Local Authority |
No . of Units |
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Carlow County Council |
72 |
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Cavan County Council |
14 |
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Clare County Council |
44 |
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Cork City Council |
158 |
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Cork County Council |
121 |
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DLR County Council |
152 |
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Donegal County Council |
86 |
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Dublin City Council |
280 |
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Fingal County Council |
207 |
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Galway City Council |
93 |
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Galway County Council |
137 |
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Kerry County Council |
122 |
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Kildare County Council |
161 |
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Kilkenny County Council |
142 |
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Laois County Council |
73 |
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Leitrim County Council |
9 |
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Limerick City & County Council |
179 |
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Longford County Council |
16 |
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Louth County Council |
129 |
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Mayo County Council |
44 |
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Meath County Council |
83 |
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Monaghan County Council |
28 |
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Offaly County Council |
59 |
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Roscommon County Council |
10 |
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Sligo County Council |
49 |
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South Dublin County Council |
252 |
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Tipperary County Council |
83 |
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Waterford City & County Council |
118 |
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Westmeath County Council |
74 |
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Wexford County Council |
86 |
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Wicklow County Council |
92 |
While construction activity is ramping up, local authorities are using other approaches to deliver new social housing units in the more immediate term, including acquiring properties, with over 1,000 new social housing units secured through that approach in 2015 alone, and working with developers to build and acquire new Turnkey developments.
782. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his policy on the provision of sewerage schemes in towns and villages that do not have such schemes; if it is his responsibility or Uisce Éireann's to provide these schemes; if the latter, if he has issued instructions or guidelines to Uisce Éireann, or if he provides ring-fenced finance for new schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6860/16]
View answerSince 1 January 2014 Irish Water has statutory responsibility for all aspects of water services planning, delivery and operation at national, regional and local levels, including the delivery of water services capital infrastructure. The Water Services (No. 2) Act 2013 requires Irish Water to put in place a Water Services Strategic Plan (WSSP). The WSSP outlines the strategic direction for Irish Water over the short, medium and long-term time frames up to 2040. It identifies and prioritises the key objectives required to ensure that smaller towns and villages are appropriately supported by water services infrastructure. Irish Water published the WSSP in October 2015 and this is available online at:
http://www.water.ie/about-us/project-and-plans/future-plans/
Irish Water's Capital Investment Plan (CIP) 2014-2016 outlines a number of priorities to be delivered including improving water quality, tackling leakage, improving capacity and investing for economic development and it identifies where Irish Water considers investment in infrastructure is necessary for the effective performance of its functions. This plan is available online at
http://www.water.ie/news/proposed-capital-investme/Proposed-Capital-Investment-Plan-2014-2016.pdf
A successor CIP has been prepared by Irish Water and the Commission for Energy Regulation is expected to issue a consultation paper on this plan later this year.
During 2015, my Department established a working group involving key stakeholders in the rural water sector to address the development of the rural water sector within the overall water sector reform programme to ensure that the programme responds effectively to current and future needs. Local authorities, the Water Services Transition Office, Irish Water, the National Federation of Group Water Schemes as well as my Department are represented on the working group. One of the tasks of the group is to ensure that there is appropriate integration of the Department's Rural Water Programme and Irish Water's Capital Investment Programme so as to fully support rural development and address any environmental issues that may arise.
The working group is also considering a number of areas where there are potential boundary issues with Irish Water or legacy issues which need to be addressed and new approaches in this area will be informed by a number of demonstration projects or pilot schemes, including ones relating to the provision of new group sewerage schemes by communities.
783. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will review constituency boundaries when the census is complete; the terms of reference of a potential boundary commission and when it would report. [6873/16]
View answerSection 5 of the Electoral Act 1997 provides for the establishment of a Constituency Commission upon the publication by the Central Statistics Office of preliminary census results. Census 2016 is to be taken on 24 April 2016 and the Central Statistics Office expects to publish the preliminary results in July of this year. The function of the Constituency Commission is to make a report on the constituencies for the election of members of the Dáil and the members of the European Parliament having regard to Article 16 of the Constitution and to the terms of reference set out in section 6(2) of the Electoral Act 1997.
In accordance with section 9 of the Electoral Act 1997 the Constituency Commission must present its report to the Chairperson of the Dáil no later than 3 months after the publication of final census results. These results are expected in March or April 2017.
784. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will make it mandatory that all polling stations and polling booths are fully accessible for all persons. [6878/16]
View answerUnder electoral law, returning officers are responsible for all matters in relation to the conduct of elections, including the provision of polling stations and polling booths within those stations. The Electoral Act 1992 provides that local authorities, in making polling schemes, shall endeavour to appoint polling places where at least one polling station is accessible to wheelchair users and requires that the returning officer shall, where practicable, provide polling stations which are accessible to wheelchair users. The returning officer must, where practicable, give public notice of all polling stations which are inaccessible to wheelchair users, not later than eight days before polling day. If an elector considers that he or she might have difficulty gaining access to a polling station, he or she may apply in writing to the returning officer for authorisation to vote at another polling station in the same constituency or local electoral area. In addition, the returning officer is required to put in place arrangements at each polling station to facilitate the marking and placing in the ballot box of ballot papers by voters who may be wheelchair users.
While I have no immediate plans to change these provisions in the electoral Acts or to make it mandatory that all polling stations and booths are fully accessible to all persons, my Department will continue , in co-operation with returning officers, local authorities and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform , to seek to improve voting facilities for all voters.
In this regard, my Department issues guidance to returning officers in advance of elections and referendums. The guidance advises returning officers when selecting buildings to be used as polling stations, that consideration should be given to accessibility issues and the needs of voters with a range of disabilities. Returning Officers have also been advised, where possible, to use more recently built premises as these are likely to have been built to more exacting standards of accessibility under Building Regulations.
The guidance also provides information on accessible voting in the form of an accessibility checklist. The most recent checklist – that was used at the Dáil election on 26 February 2016 and which was drawn up in consultation with the National Disability Authority (NDA) and the Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA) - was developed using the NDA publication Building for Everyone – a Universal Design Approach and the IWA publication Designing Accessible Environments for All. While the checklist does not constitute a legal interpretation of any statutory provision, it provides returning officers with a general guide on the issues that should be considered in planning for and checking the accessibility of polling stations.
In relation to polling booths, the guidance advises returning officers to provide at each polling station an appropriate table and chair, located in such a position as to ensure secrecy in voting, at which electors such as wheelchair users, persons with a physical disability or the elderly can mark their ballot papers if they find it more convenient. Returning Officers are advised to consider, where feasible, the installation of a low height voting compartment to facilitate voters who use wheelchairs or those who are short of stature.
If a person has a physical illness or physical disability which prevents him or her from going to the polling station, the person can vote by post if he or she applies to be included in the postal voters list which is drawn up each year as part of the register of electors. In order to be entered on the postal voters list, the person must apply to the appropriate local authority by 25 November each year. After that date, an application for inclusion in the supplement to the postal voters list may be made.
785. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the status of a new national spatial strategy; if he will consult the public and request submissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6879/16]
View answerIn December 2015, Minister Kelly and I published a roadmap document entitled Towards a National Planning Framework - A Roadmap for the delivery of the National Planning Framework 2016. This followed Government approval to the commencement of the preparation of a new National Planning Framework (NPF) to act as a new long-term national planning and regional development framework as a successor to the 2002 National Spatial Strategy which was Ireland’s first national strategic spatial planning framework.
The publication of this important document (i) signals that the preparation of the NPF is commencing, (ii) provides information as to the approach and timetable proposed, (iii) outlines matters to be considered and (iv) indicates how persons and organisations can become involved in the process.
It is proposed that the new National Planning Framework will be a high-level nationally focused document, developed to ensure the optimal development of the country as a whole while maximising Ireland’s economic recovery and on-going growth at national, regional and local level, thus further contributing to sustainable national recovery through an inclusive and participative approach with all relevant national, regional and local interests. The National Planning Framework will act as the strategic context for:
1) planning in Ireland at national level, in relation to relevant Government policies and investment concerning national and regional development with particular emphasis on economic development and investment in housing, water services, transport, communications, energy, health and education infrastructure;
2) development, by the three new regional assemblies, of their new regional spatial and economic strategies, and
3) planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála discharging their statutory planning functions.
The roadmap document sets out general arrangements for the preparation of the NPF, which will follow on from the establishment of a dedicated work team in my Department and a high-level cross-departmental steering group, to oversee the process, supported by appropriate public consultation and stakeholder engagement arrangements in 2016.
The roadmap anticipates the publication of a draft framework towards the end of the third quarter of 2016 and its finalisation at the earliest available opportunity thereafter, taking account of all relevant inputs and statutory requirements.
786. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the status of local authority land zoned and planning permission granted for up to 52,600 residential units; if funding has been released to local authorities to begin immediate building of these units; if not, the reason; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6900/16]
View answerThe Housing Agency, in consultation with my Department and local authorities, is gathering data and developing a detailed database and GIS map of local authority owned lands, as well as the Land Aggregation Scheme lands, showing their location, size, boundaries and other information. Furthermore, my Department, in conjunction with local authority planning departments, carried out a national survey of all lands zoned for residential development in statutory local authority development plans and local area plans across Ireland. This exercise, the Residential Land Availability Survey 2014, published in February 2015, determined the location and quantity of lands that may be regarded as being undeveloped and available for residential development purposes at 31 March 2014. This survey measured the total amount of lands whether owned privately or by the local authority that have been identified for housing development in the various local authority development plans and that are the highest priority for development.
The area of such lands amounts to 17,434 hectares, which given a range of densities appropriate to whether the areas are in small villages or larger towns and cities and as determined by the relevant local authorities, could theoretically enable the construction of over 414,000 dwellings.
The Residential Land Availability Survey 2014 is available on my Department’s website at:
http://www.environ.ie/planning/residential-land-availability/residential-land-availability-survey
Statistics on planning permissions granted on a county basis are published by the Central Statistics Office; see www.cso.ie. A new Part V (of the Planning and Development Act) regime has been introduced which means that social housing dwellings will be delivered as part of mixed tenure developments, thus ensuring that local authorities will have a steady stream of social housing units from the private sector for years to come.
In relation to new social housing construction, I made substantial announcements in May 2015, in July 2015 and in January 2016 through which we now have a strong pipeline of such construction projects, as well as acquisition and turnkey approvals in place. Between these three announcements, almost €680 million has been allocated for over 3,900 social housing new builds and acquisitions. Details of these approvals are available on my Department’s website at the following links:
http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,41340,en.htm
http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,42225,en.htm http://www.environ.ie/housing/social-housing/ministers-kelly-coffey-announce-further-1000-social-housing-units.
While construction activity is ramping up for social housing delivery, local authorities are using other approaches to deliver new social housing units in the more immediate term, including acquiring properties - with over 1,000 new social housing units acquired through that approach in 2015 alone - and working with developers to build and acquire new Turnkey developments.
787. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to report on the barriers to local authorities beginning immediate large-scale builds of social and affordable housing estates in areas of highest demand; how he is addressing these barriers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6901/16]
View answerThe Social Housing Strategy 2020 includes targets and actions to increase the supply of social housing by 110,000 additional units, with 35,000 new units to be delivered by local authorities and approved housing bodies and 75,000 households to be supported mainly through the Housing Assistance Payment Scheme.
The Strategy has put in place the means to overcome barriers that might have existed in relation to the large scale delivery of social housing by local authorities. For example, implementation of the Strategy is being supported through the provision of €4 billion in funding and the sanctioning of more than 450 new housing staff for local authorities. The funding of €1.7 billion already provided for under Budgets 2015 and 2016 has supported the delivery of 13,000 social housing units in 2015 and is supporting the achievement of an ambitious target of 17,000 units in 2016. The 2015 output represents an increase of 86% on the circa 7,000 units delivered in 2014, as can be seen in my Department’s 2015 Social Housing Report which I published on 26 January 2016 – available at the following link:
http://www.environ.ie/housing/social-housing/social-housing-strategy/minister-kelly-publishes-2015-social-housing-report
The funding available under the Strategy has facilitated substantial new social housing projects which I announced in May 2015, in July 2015 and in January 2016. These projects are in areas with a proven social housing need and we now have a strong pipeline of new social housing construction, acquisition and turnkey approvals in place. It is important that all social housing construction that has been sanctioned is implemented in line with my Department’s guidelines, Quality Housing for Sustainable Communities. Those Guidelines state that site selection for social housing and the size of developments relative to other housing in an area are important to the future development of self-sustaining communities.
Between the three major announcements on new social housing projects that I have made, almost €680 million has been allocated for over 3,900 social housing new builds and acquisitions. It is these projects that will form the vast majority of the social housing units to be constructed between now and 2018. All of these projects are now being advanced by the relevant local authorities. In some cases, they will need to proceed through the local authority planning process under Part VIII of the Planning and Development Regulations 2001, as amended. This and other factors can have an impact on the timeline for the advancement of construction projects. Details of these approvals are available on my Department’s website at the following links:http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,41340,en.htm
http://www.environ.ie/en/DevelopmentHousing/Housing/News/MainBody,42225,en.htm http://www.environ.ie/housing/social-housing/ministers-kelly-coffey-announce-further-1000-social-housing-units
Delivery of new social housing is also being advanced via my Department’s Social Housing Current Expenditure Programme (SHCEP). This is funding both local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) to expand their social housing stock by leasing new units directly from private owners and developers for social housing use. The programme also allows for the long-term leasing of units secured by AHBs through acquisition and construction.
The Capital Advance Leasing Facility (CALF) assists AHBs in accessing private or Housing Finance Agency (HFA) finance for the purchase, construction or refurbishment of units for social housing purposes. Amendments were made to the scheme recently to further facilitate a shift in investment by AHBs towards construction and acquisition of new builds. Effective from 1 January 2016, AHBs can drawdown approved CALF funds at an earlier stage in a project’s completion. This accelerated drawdown provides working capital to the AHB and delays the drawdown of more expensive bridging finance, in the early stages of construction projects. In addition, a mechanism is also being introduced that will allow for the agreement of two-year multi-annual CALF funding programmes with AHBs. The objective is to provide more certainty to AHBs with regard to their funding requirements. This initiative will operate on a pilot basis with five AHBs in 2016 with the objective of broadening the initiative in 2017.
While construction activity is ramping up, local authorities are using other approaches to deliver new social housing units in the more immediate term, including acquiring properties - with over 1,000 new social housing units acquired through that approach in 2015 alone - and working with developers to build and acquire new Turnkey developments. The Rapid Build Housing Programme will also provide solutions, in the shortest possible time-frame, to support families who find themselves in emergency accommodation. The houses in question are high quality, A-rated homes, which, if delivered on a sufficient scale, offer real hope for people in the immediate term.
Overall, through the range of actions that have been implemented under the Social Housing Strategy and the funding provision that has been made, local authorities have been empowered to deliver social housing in the areas of highest demand, consistent with the important, long-term objective of developing and supporting sustainable communities.
788. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the monetary limits to be spent on refurbishing local authority units; the reason these limits are set; the number of voids that have not been upgraded due to these limits; the length of time they have been empty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6902/16]
View answerDealing with vacancies that occur within existing social housing stock is a normal part of the management function of local authorities. My Department places no monetary limits on what a local authority spends on refurbishing such units. However, in 2014 my Department recognised that a backlog of such units had built up over several years and, accordingly, introduced a funding programme to support the efforts that local authorities make through their own resources in this regard. The programme is co-funded by the exchequer and the EU Structural and Investment Funds 2014-2020. This programme provides support to local authorities for a range of remediation works, including insulation, heating works, window/door replacement, kitchen installation, electrical and plumbing, painting and gutters/waste services. In the case of each property, the amount funded to local authorities depends on the works they undertake and that varies in every case. As the funding from my Department is a support to local authorities in carrying out their work on stock maintenance and re-letting vacant units, it is open to local authorities to carry out additional works if they so decide. The funding from my Department and the EU in these cases is at a combined, overall total of €30,000 per social housing unit. In the two years since this funding programme was introduced, over 5,000 units have been supported nationally and returned to use at a cost of some €60 million.
To complement the funding under the programme for vacant units, my Department has also initiated a new programme to support local authorities dealing with social housing units that are in need of a greater level of remediation and that are, in some cases, derelict properties. The ongoing maintenance of social housing carried out by local authorities means that there will not be high numbers of such units, but where such properties are repairable and lettable, local authorities will be supported to remediate them with exchequer allocations which will be made shortly.
Feedback from local authorities in respect of the programme to support the return of vacant units is that the funding made available since 2014 has provided valuable assistance in dealing with such units and that significant progress has been made in tackling the backlog. In the same vein, the programme to tackle more derelict units will also provide key support for local authorities to maximise the use of their stock for those on the waiting list and I am confident, therefore, that social housing units that are lettable and repairable are not restricted from being returned to use by virtue of the range of supports my Department provides.
789. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the uptake of the housing assistance payment across the local authorities; the reason local authorities are not taking the initiative in sourcing housing assistance payment residential units but, instead, vulnerable prospective tenants are attempting to source landlords for the housing assistance payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6903/16]
View answerThe Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a major pillar of the Social Housing Strategy 2020. The HAP scheme removes a barrier to employment, by allowing recipients to remain in the scheme if they gain full-time employment, it improves regulation of the rented accommodation being supported and it provides certainty for landlords as regards their rental income. To be eligible for HAP, a person must first apply for and be approved for social housing support by their local authority. The first phase of the statutory pilot for the HAP scheme commenced in September 2014 and has been introduced incrementally to 19 local authority areas with over 8,3 00 households currently being supported under the scheme.
Under HAP, a key principle of the scheme is that eligible households source their own accommodation in the private rented sector, which best suits their needs in their area of choice. However, HAP recipients may access other forms of social housing supports , which is sourced by the local authority, by applying to go on the local authority transfer list.
In December 2014, HAP was extended on a pilot basis to homeless households in the Dublin Region. To qualify for HAP under the homeless pilot scheme, a household must be accepted as homeless within the meaning of section 2 of the Housing Act 1988 by one of the four Dublin local authorities. The Homeless HAP Pilot, which is operated by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE) on behalf of the four Dublin local authorities, supports homeless households in the Dublin region to find a tenancy and in many cases liaises with landlords and sources accommodation for eligible households.
790. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the details of vacant State properties and land, including car parks not in use, owned by his Department or by bodies and agencies under the aegis of his Department by square footage, by location and by local authority in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6913/16]
View answerMy Department is not a significant owner of property. However, the Housing Agency, in consultation with my Department and local authorities, is gathering data and developing a detailed database and GiS map of local authority owned lands, as well as the Land Aggregation Scheme lands, showing their location, size, boundaries and other information. The Office of Public Works has also developed a database of properties owned by Government Departments, State Agencies and local authorities. The development of this database was led by the OPW-chaired Steering Group on Property Asset Management – further information is available at https://maps.opw.ie/property/. The data concerned is provisional and has not yet been fully validated.
